


Confessions

by Techmaturgics



Series: Mochachino [1]
Category: Food Fantasy (Video Game)
Genre: I will write some extras in separate fics about them after this happens, Just two losers realizing they really like each other, M/M, spoilers for character stories
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-15
Updated: 2018-08-15
Packaged: 2019-06-27 15:09:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,572
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15687930
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Techmaturgics/pseuds/Techmaturgics
Summary: Coffee takes a rest beneath some cover as a rainstorm rolls on by. Chocolate comes to get him.





	Confessions

It had begun to rain. 

Coffee watched as the light sprinkle became a heavy downpour. He propped himself up higher against the back of the old shack along the side of an empty dirt road. His shoes dug into the dirt beneath the bench, dirty and slick with mud. His coat concealed the pain blossoming in his right side as did the calm collectiveness of his visage. For the first time in a while he wanted a cigarette. 

The last time he had one was many years ago, before his old cooking attendant had died. That was a popular pastime back then. One of the only times he actually bonded with his attendant was that first time he offered Coffee a cigarette. They were sitting out on the front steps of his attendant’s house, the sun high in the sky and the summer heat clinging to their skin. 

He remembered their amused grin, the wrinkles at the corners of their eyes and the way their lips twitched with laughter as they watched Coffee’s forehead crease and his brows knit with obvious disgust.

“How on earth do you humans stand this?” Coffee had coughed out, holding the cigarette back out to his master. His eyes had watered and the smoke was making him cough too much. He hated it. 

“You get used to it,” his master had replied with a snicker, reaching out to accept the cigarette back. He patted Coffee’s back several times to help him air out the rest of the lingering smoke. 

“I don’t see how you can get used to  _ that _ ,” Coffee retorted with a frown, finished with his fit. 

“You can get used to anything, given enough time, Coffee.” His master brought the cigarette to their mouth and breathed in. Coffee watched quietly as the end glowed red and the ash fell to the ground. Though he didn’t like it, he was fascinated.

“I got used to everyone thinkin’ I’m crazy. That I’m the devil’s advocate. No good and downright loony,” his master continued. 

Coffee knew this well. He had seen the looks his master would get when he passed through town, had heard the whispers and the slander. He hadn’t cared. What they thought of him or his master - he didn’t care about it. He was always confused as to why his attendant would work so hard to spread his name, to spread ‘the demon’s drink’.

Listening to them now, he didn’t know how to place this feeling. He wasn’t so adverse to listening to his ravings right now, and so sat quietly as his attendant spoke with confidence. 

“They don’t stop me none. I’ll just keep coming back, keep workin’ at it. Coffee, you’re a gift from the Gods. Ain’t no doubt ‘bout it. They’ll come round, just you see.”

Coffee watched his master for a moment then spoke with doubt in his words.

“What if no one ever believes in you?” he asked, genuinely concerned.

His attendant smiled and Coffee felt like he was being told an important secret. A gleam shone in his master’s eyes and he felt a quiet respect beginning to build within him for them. They put out their cigarette and stood up after a moment, patting the dust from their coattails then resting a heavy hand on Coffee’s shoulder briefly. As they stepped out onto the street, they tipped their hat toward Coffee and grinned. 

“In a crowd of non-believers there’s always someone who already does,” they replied and took off. Coffee watched them in stunned silence as their figure slowly disappeared down the street. 

The fire that took his attendant occurred a couple weeks after that talk. And though Coffee didn’t mourn his attendant, he always thought back to that conversation. It drove him to where he was now, sitting slack in an empty resting spot that travelers for years and years had used before continuing on their way to wherever they were going.

Coffee felt weary, tired and well just plain in pain but he was ignoring it, staring blankly out at the green fields and farmland stretching out to the countryside. He watched as the rain soaked the grass and made giant lakes across the expanse of the road. It was a path less traveled as the years went by. Bigger and better roads of paved stone and cement had began to be preferred for main routes of travel. 

However, Coffee found the scenic route more relaxing and rather discreet.

He could hear the patter of rain hitting the sturdy wooden roof above him. He needed to get back home soon. The others would worry, but at that moment he felt no motivation to move. Listening to the frogs croaking in the underbrush and the heavy rain assail the world around him was peaceful and Coffee felt serene.

He thought about Milk. His first friend in this strange world of theirs, his sister. He had always felt closer to her than anyone else. She would scold him if she saw him right now. Right along with Black Tea. Coffee could envision Black Tea’s face scrunched up with concern right beside the stoic expression of Milk. What an interesting duo those two were. 

Tiramisu would fuss over him. She was always concerned more so than she should, but Coffee had began to appreciate her optimistic and gentle attitude. The customers loved her too.

Then there was Chocolate. 

Coffee felt strange thinking about him. He always felt  _ something  _ when he was around Chocolate. Their newest member was just as much as a mystery as Black Tea was when she first joined their little family. Maybe moreso. 

Chocolate felt deeply. Coffee understood that. He had a wider range of emotions than him and Milk did. He understood a lot more about humans than Coffee did. Though their methods of attracting customers were the same, they both were still so different. Chocolate always went the extra mile, having the extra bit of empathy that Coffee lacked to truly connect with their customers.  

Was Coffee jealous? He couldn’t really say. He, after all didn’t start off charming people right off the bat. He didn’t realize his own charm until he spent a few years building up his reputation and observing what people liked. 

If Chocolate saw Coffee now he wondered how he’d react. It made him curious. Since he came, they had spent much time together. Whenever he was with Chocolate there was something new to be learned and felt. Coffee always felt both excitement and comfort in his presence. Perhaps this was what humans meant when they spoke of fondness for their partners. 

Coffee didn’t know. Thinking about it now was too much effort and he let his eyes close shut. He would rest there a little longer before he headed back. He was a Food Soul so he was studier than a human was. He wasn’t worried.

Time passed.

How long? Coffee didn’t know. He drifted in and out of consciousness, the din of the rain deafening his ears to any other sound than its continuous beat. Even in that big coat of his he soon began to feel a chill grip at him and when he awoke someone else was there with him. 

Coffee’s eyes took a moment to focus on the dark figure sitting beside him on the old bench. He saw their back and the side of their face. They looked out into the distance where dark clouds cornered every inch of the sky and flashes of thunder began to loom above their heavy greyness. It was nearly dark and Coffee knew he had stayed out too long.

Still, he watched the back of the man beside him. He gazed upon his familiar beige cardigan, the red patterns woven into the wool greeted him and Coffee wondered just how long Chocolate had been sitting there beside him. His glasses hid his eyes and Coffee took an extra minute to observing him.

A handsome face cradled in a mess of dark locks. He looked different this way, in the dying light of day. The dark atmosphere of the coming storm and the placid look on his face was different from the Chocolate he saw working the shop beside him. It reminded him of that day he had first met him.

His power was a frightening one. The air around him had a force and the look upon his face was dark, maddened by his grief and fury. There was a storm in his murky blue eyes and Coffee recalled feeling his heart almost stop at the intensity of his expression when he revealed himself to the other Food Soul. 

He may have been calm, but inside his heart was beating quickly against his chest. It was the first time he felt as if he could be in danger. The first time he felt that nervous feeling trickling down his neck and making the hairs on his arm stand. 

Chocolate was powerful. 

No one should be mistaken. His pleasant and playful demeanor was just as much apart of him as the passion and anger he had shown Coffee that day. He didn’t doubt that if he hadn’t been softened by the words of Salina’s last letter that he could have mowed down Coffee if he chose. 

Coffee was thankful he hadn’t. He was even more grateful to have him on his side. When Chocolate came through those shop doors that fateful day and sat down at the counter, Coffee had been happier than he had in a long time. He didn’t know if Chocolate would come. He gambled on the fact that his curiosity would get the better of him and he’d come find Coffee sooner or later. It wasn’t for sure.

He realized he wanted to know more about Chocolate. To understand him and it was the first time he took such a deep interest in another being and it seemed mutual. Chocolate would ask him questions and more often than not he would always appear to be surprised by Coffee’s answers. Sometimes it felt like Chocolate was quizzing Coffee.

As if testing him to see if he understood the world like he did and Coffee would admit, he also did the same back to him. They were similar but also not at all. It was fascinating and honestly, Chocolate was always fun to hang out with and they got along well.

But now looking at him here, sitting beside Coffee with his face turned toward the gloomy sky, Coffee realized he liked him. He liked him a lot. And sometimes he’d catch Chocolate looking at him with those intense eyes that reflected storm and Coffee wondered just what he was thinking during those times.

“Did Milk send you?” Coffee asked suddenly, finding his voice once more and sitting up with a wince. He could feel his side bruising and aching with pain. He hoped Chocolate didn’t see. He didn’t want to hear any scolding right now. 

Chocolate quickly whipped his head back to look at Coffee. He paused then smiled pleasantly, chortling softly.

“I sent myself,” he replied, surprising Coffee. 

“How did you find me?”

“I read the letter you received while you weren’t looking. Thought you’d take this route to be the least conspicuous.”

Coffee wasn’t exactly pleased to hear that. He made a great effort to keep his friends from reading and undertaking those malicious requests. Ever since Milk had accidentally read one, he had felt quite strongly to never allow her or anyone else to see them again. 

Humankind was something else. As kind and wonderful humans can be, they could also be horrible and twisted. Coffee had seen into the hearts of many, had seen the worst of humanity and the best. Sometimes it made him resent humans. Sometimes he was furious with them and their greed and cruelty. He didn’t want his friends to feel those dark feelings he had sometimes so he shouldered the burden of it.

There was a silence between them and Chocolate, as if feeling like he overstepped his boundaries tried to apologize but Coffee waved his hand, too weary to really care too much. 

“What’s done is done,” he said. “I know you’ve seen worse.” 

He let that hang in the air for a moment and suddenly felt awkward, but Chocolate didn’t seem fazed by the comment. 

“Are you hurt?”

Chocolate was closer now. It seemed he had noticed the way Coffee was slouching and the slow drawl of his speech, breath short. He placed a gentle hand over Coffee’s coat and pressed his fingers against his side. Coffee groaned softly when he felt pain and tried to bat those fingers away. 

“How bad is it?” Chocolate asked. Coffee huffed and grasped weakly at the sleeve of Chocolate’s shirt. 

“Just some bruising. The human put a bit of a fight but I subdued him. He just caught me by surprise, but he won’t be stalking Ms. Leweynn anymore.”

There was a strange look on Chocolate’s face and he drew closer still. His head was low, body hunched over Coffee as he rubbed soothing circles into the bruised side. It hurt at first but it wasn’t so bad, Coffee relaxed into his touch and his hand dropped back down to his side. 

“Let’s get home, I can carry you. Then we can have a closer look at that side of yours.” 

“I’m.. not exactly light, Chocolate. I can walk by myself.”

“No. I’ll carry you. Just bear with me for a bit.” 

Coffee was taken aback by the firmness in Chocolate’s voice. He met his eyes and they stared at each other for a moment before Coffee relented with a sigh, waving a hand in the air in surrender.

“Fine, fine, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

Chocolate laughed and Coffee already felt lighter just hearing the sound of it. He smiled as Chocolate rose and turned around to lift Coffee onto his back with his help. He noticed then the umbrella sitting against the side of the shack and motioned to it. Chocolate apparently had brought it with him when he went searching for Coffee. 

“You’re not so heavy,” Chocolate teased and handed Coffee the umbrella over his shoulder. 

“Yeah, yeah, you’re  _ soooo _ strong, Chocolate,” Coffee teased back and lifted the umbrella. He opened it and held it above their heads as Chocolate carried them through the rain, long legs stepping over puddles. The rain had begun to weaken but was still steadily falling from the sky. Coffee wondered just how much water these clouds had in them to be raining most of the day. 

And surprisingly, Chocolate was strong. Stronger than he looked like ‘cause he very easily carried Coffee back to the coffee house in their nook of the woods. Tiramisu was the one that greeted them when they came back, her soft features illuminated by the dim lights of the shop as she opened the door for them in a hurry. 

“Coffee! Chocolate!” She exclaimed and shut the door behind them to keep out the rain. “Are you two okay? Is Coffee okay? Is he hurt? Do you need me to heal you?”

Chocolate set Coffee down on a red bar chair at the counter. He lingered over Coffee for a moment then answered Tiramisu who hovered around them worriedly. Her long hair swayed as she rushed to Coffee once Chocolate was out of the way.

“He’s fine. Bruised up.” Chocolate took their umbrella and stashed it by the doorway, letting the water drip from it and onto the welcome mat.

“Yeah, just a little healing is fine, Tiramisu,” Coffee added. “I should be fine after some rest.”

“And a hot bath,” she laughed and helped Coffee out of his coat. Tiramisu was quick to unbutton Coffee’s shirt and get to work. Chocolate took Coffee’s coat and scarf for her and set them down on the counter, standing to the side and watching her use her magic.

Coffee’s side was an angry purple, but the bruises were scattered and not too large. Tiramisu’s magic helped a lot and Coffee was relieved by the warmth her healing gave him. It was different from Milk’s whose healing was almost surgical in nature. Fast and efficient, without that special warmth that Tiramisu’s seemed to have.

Coffee looked around the empty shop.

“Where’s Milk and Black Tea? Off to bed?”

Tiramisu nodded, expression focused. She had admitted before to not being the best healer many times. She needed to focus a lot more than Milk did when she was working her magic and so Coffee let her do her thing. He looked up at Chocolate who was watching with a frown.

“What’s wrong?”

Chocolate cleared his throat and shook his head. He folded his arms and gazed at Coffee’s bruises like they were his mortal enemy. 

“I’m just annoyed that someone hurt you. You should have let me come with you.”

Coffee frowned back.

“I dealt with it. It isn’t that big of a deal. We needed someone to help Tiramisu hold the shop.”

“I know, but, I’m still annoyed. I know you can handle yourself. But next time, when you go out and do something dangerous, take me with you.”

Coffee laughed, a bit puzzled by Chocolate’s words.

“What, fighting Fallen Angels with the others isn’t dangerous? A human is hardly a threat, Chocolate.”

Chocolate didn’t reply. Tiramisu was done though and Coffee thanked her. She smiled brightly and patted Coffee’s cheek with her hand fondly. 

“Now go take that warm bath. I don’t want you catching a cold. Just imagine Milk’s scolding if you did.” 

Coffee scoffed, as smug smile on his lips. “I’ve never caught a cold in my life. I don’t plan on getting one any time soon.” Tiramisu laughed and drew back, shaking her head. 

“Then hop to it, Mr. Satan. Chocolate would you help him?”

Chocolate nodded and helped Coffee off the stool, letting him lean against him as they made their way through the back hallway and up the stairs to their rooms. The bathroom was on their immediate left and Chocolate pushed open the door with his foot. Coffee leaned to the side and flipped on the light switch.

They were quiet. Neither of them felt a need to talk while Chocolate drew the water and let it fill the tub. Coffee pulled off his shirt and glasses and put them on the bathroom counter. He examined himself in the mirror and looked over the bruises along his right side. They looked better. Tiramisu’s magic had helped and he was sure they’d be but a memory in the morning. 

He then caught Chocolate’s gaze in the mirror and for some reason felt as if he had been frozen where he stood. Chocolate's eyes were intense, darkened by some unknown emotion flickering in them. Coffee's  pulse quickened and he remembered that day again when they first met. Now he didn’t see hate in Chocolate’s eyes, but he saw something else. Something he couldn’t place and he felt like he was being caught by it, burned. 

Why did Chocolate look like that? Coffee wanted to ask. He wanted to say something but no words could form in his dry mouth. Chocolate approached him from behind, placing a hand on the counter and keeping eye contact with Coffee through the mirror. 

“I don’t like seeing you hurt,” Chocolate said finally, slowly. As if weighing his words carefully. He had still been thinking about their conversation downstairs. Coffee listened intently, overwhelmed by the stirring of foreign emotions welling up inside him upon being so close to Chocolate and hearing his voice this clearly echo off the bathroom walls, shadowed by the rush of the water filling the tub.

“It doesn’t matter, fallen angel or human. When I saw you there in the rain I thought about Salina. I remember watching her back as she stood in the rain while that bastard of a lover of her’s left. I watched her be so close yet so far away at the same time.

Then day after day she waited for him and I knew in my heart I could never reach her. No matter how much I loved her and wanted her happiness;  _ he  _ was the only one she ever wanted though.  _ He  _ was the only one that could touch her heart and I felt more alone than I could ever express then. I felt the weight of the realization that I would never mean as much to her as he did.”

Chocolate paused, breathing deeply before pushing himself away from the counter and away from Coffee. He went to the bathtub and turned the water off. Coffee watched him.

This was the first time since coming here that he had talked about his past. None of them ever pried. Hearing it now, Coffee felt a heavy tugging in his chest. He felt it with great force at the sight of Chocolate standing over the tub, shoulders sagged. He looked defeated, and Coffee wanted to go to him. But he didn’t. He stood there and stared at his back in silence.

“Then before I knew it, she was gone. And there was nothing left. Nothing that meant anything to me. I wanted revenge. When I’m with everyone, I feel happy. I don’t feel alone and I don’t feel sad. I want to protect them and see their joyful smiles. I felt like this was fate. That I was given a second chance to make the ones that I hold dearest to my heart happy.

And when I saw you there, I saw her again and I wanted to call out to you, but you were asleep. So I just sat there. I waited and I tried to calm down.”

Coffee placed a hand on the counter and took a step closer to Chocolate. He didn’t get any closer though, as if there was an invisible line separating the two of them. 

“I’m not Salina,” he said. 

“I know.” Chocolate’s voice was quiet, he finally turned to Coffee and looked him in the eye. There was pain in those beautifully tragic eyes. His smooth face was creased with sorrow and Coffee felt his throat tighten and Chocolate’s next words hit him hard.

“You mean more to me than she ever did.”

There was a stunned silence between them, as if Chocolate himself was surprised by his sudden confession. Coffee felt everything closing in on him so quickly. He recalled all those times he had caught Chocolate’s eye, the soft laughs shared between them when it was just the two of them in the shop. He remembered that one time Chocolate had fallen asleep against him when they were driving through Light Kingdom on a delivery. 

He thought of all of that when he looked at Chocolate and was overwhelmed.

He loved him and that crazy recognition of his own feels was something so new and something very scary to him. Coffee leaned back against the counter and covered his face with his hands, dragging them down from his forehead, over his eyes and down just below his cheeks so that he was only obscuring his mouth. He looked at Chocolate, face flushed.

“Me too,” he breathed. Chocolate quickly straightened up in surprise, taking a clumsy step toward Coffee. His eyes looked at Coffee in earnest, searching as if he couldn’t believe what he had just heard.

“You..” Chocolate began quietly.

“Me too,” Coffee repeated, this time a little louder through his hands. “I.. Feel the same about you too.”

The line between them seemed almost nonexistent now, Chocolate crossing the threshold without hesitance and closing the distance between them. He looked wrecked, as if hearing Coffee's words had broken down the walls he had built and now he didn't know how to hide his emotions. His face was tense and his eyes burned into Coffee’s. 

“Say it again. Say it clearly.”

Coffee could scarcely breathe. Chocolate reached up to gently pull his hands from his mouth. He held them in his, thumbs pressing into the soft flesh of Coffee’s palms. Electricity passed between them, little bolts that tickled Coffee’s fingertips and made his neck feel hot. He couldn’t look away from him.

“I love-” Chocolate pressed his forehead to Coffee’s, their noses bumping against each other. Coffee could feel his breath against his lips, could feel the tickle of his bangs brush against his forehead. He looked deeply into Chocolate’s eyes. He felt raw and exposed. His lips quivered as he finished his sentence, voice shaking.

“I love you.” 

Chocolate closed his eyes briefly and held his breath. When they opened again Coffee felt his chest swell with that feeling again, an ache that was more painful than the bruising on his side. He never felt it before, never felt something this intense. 

Chocolate squeezed his hands and he squeezed back. 

“What am I to you?” Coffee asked. Without hesitance Chocolate answered back, kissing Coffee’s knuckles tenderly.

“The one I want to love the most, without holding back.”

Coffee closed his eyes and took it in. His legs felt weak. He didn’t know how he was standing up still but he was. The steam from the hot water had warmed their skins and fogged the mirror. Coffee could hear the quiet drip of one last drop falling from the facet into the tub. He opened his eyes.

“You know I have no experience with this, right?” he asked Chocolate.

“I do.”

“This is all new to me.”

“We’ll take things slow.”

Coffee stared at him, frowning slightly. Chocolate smiled back and pressed a kiss to his forehead. It was as if Chocolate had stung him. Coffee blinked, startled. 

“I’ll help you figure everything out. We don’t need to rush. We have time.” Chocolate reassured. It helped. Coffee felt a bit better about this. He knew he had strong feelings for Chocolate. He believed it was love, but he was still a bit timid. He didn’t know how to deal with these feelings very well. They were new and unfamiliar and he was struggling.

“Okay,” he said after some time and leaned against Chocolate. They stood there like that until Chocolate urged Coffee toward the bath. He insisted on him going in before it got too cold and Coffee agreed. He appreciated Chocolate leaving to give him privacy too, but before he opened the door to leave, Coffee stopped him. 

“Come with me tomorrow on some errands,” he said with a cheeky smile. He pecked the corner of Chocolate’s lips and took great delight in seeing the hazy expression that briefly passed on Chocolate’s face. Oh, he could get used to teasing him like this. Coffee thought on this with mischievous glee as Chocolate eagerly agreed and hesitantly left the bathroom, peeking back several times before closing the door. 

Coffee undressed when the door closed and quickly sunk into the blissful heat of the water with a happy sigh. He didn’t want to let those feelings confuse him so much. He would stick his foot out the door and tackle it head on with Chocolate by his side.

He smiled and gazed out the window beside the tub, peering at the stars that winked obliquely from their unknown destinations. The clouds had cleared and the rain had stopped, and Coffee had a good feeling about the future.

 


End file.
